20 APRIL 2002, Page 67

Q. Recently, when staying in a hotel room in Jamaica.

I was confused by the air-conditioning controls and did not like to disturb my sleeping companion by ringing down to reception for illumination. Now that I am back in England, can you set my mind at rest? Is 20 degrees Centigrade colder or hotter than 28 degrees?

P.A., London SW1 A. Your query typifies the inability of the youthful to retain information. They rely on being able to access it via the Internet and are then stumped when Net facilities are unavailable, The correct answer is that 20 degrees is colder than 28.